Possible New Fishing Law for the Canaries - Voice your Opinions - Page 7

LAVRAKI · 10-12-2009, 01:56

Hi there, I spent a great week fishing in Caleta last year. I only stayed for one week, and could only fish on a few days due to the extremely windy weather. I cannot envisage planning future trips there if my fishing would be limited to only 2 days per week, and I would be unable to fish my preferred way with livebaits. I might take my fishing tackle all that way for nothing if the weather was bad on the designated days. I feel that the present legislation on the number and size of fish that can be killed already safeguards the fish stocks from excessive pressure from recreational sea anglers. Most tourist anglers fish catch and release due to the fact that they have no cooking facilities.
I have been spreading the word about the great fishing available in Fuerteventura, but this threatened new law will mean that I will have to warn people that they may only be able to fish 2 days per week, and will have to use synthetic lures, or baits that they have no faith in whatsoever. This is not the best type of recommendation for a tourism driven economy. I truly hope that common sense will prevail, and that this proposed legislation never comes into force, because I want to come back.

Roller · 10-12-2009, 09:08

I spoke to my stepfather last night, he and my mum both getting on for 70. They like a holiday in Tenerife during the late winter, I told him about the proposed fishing ban, he wasn't very happy, he loves a bit of mullet bashing from the rocks.

Whilst he didn't say he won't go again, he did say this, ''don't they want us to enjoy any f**k*ng thing, I haven't kept a single fish, your mother won't let me bring them back to the apartment ''

Roller · 10-12-2009, 09:12

I might get my own petition on the go over here, I know several lads who have fished the Canaries, any objections before I proceed? and after all is this just the start of a European wide restriction? and we all know how these cunning so and so's operate!

Remember people, a ban on fox hunting here led to a total ban on hunting with dogs, something that man has done from the dawn of time! years ago all a man could afford was a dog, country folk couldn't afford a shotgun, and rabbits were not killed for sport, but for the table!! loose these skills including fishing and you never get them back, Roller avid viewer of Ray Mears programs lol

PanamaJack · 10-12-2009, 12:31

To whom it may concern

The Sportfishing Club of the British Isles has an active membership of 109 – all bar two of whom are residents of the European Union. (Whilst the Club’s title refers to the ‘British Isles’ the membership does included residents of the UK, Belgium, Eire, Germany and Holland.)

For many years, since the Club’s inception in 1979, our members have regularly fished a number of the Canary Islands. And their holidays primarily involve chartering local sportfishing vessels for consecutive days, for periods of one or two weeks at a time. Whilst there of course they have additionally contributed to the local tourist-based economy, sources of employment – hotels, restaurants, bars, taxis, etc.

As a group, given the ethos of sport fishing, most of the fish they capture – big game species such as Marlin – would have been released.

So if the islands’ council enact legislation that encompasses restricting recreational fishing to just two days a week would our members return to the Canaries for their holidays? The answer is unfortunately, no. There are numerous places in the world for them to indulge their pastime without such (proposed) restrictions and I can assure you our membership would ‘vote with their feet’.

Yours faithfully
David A. West
Honorary President
Sportfishing Club of the British Isles

Aram · 10-12-2009, 13:01

Thanks Lavraki.

Roller, no objections what so ever.
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We have almost daily articles published in local papers objecting the proposed new law.

Gus, thanks for the input & your suggestion. Negating benefits & input to economy is exactly what we're working on at the moment.

Perhaps the UK petitions can be collected, copies of which sent to the tourist office in London, as well as to us, here in the Canaries, for submission to the local government (combined with the internal ones)

I also agree with Panamajack in terms of having the same (or along the same lines) accompanying front cover for the petitions & objections. If you go back to that canarian link that I put here, you will see more comments added in the last few days. The common theme (which I myself tried to expand on as much as I could, posts 21 & 22) is that we currently have one of the strictest restrictions in the EU and we don't want to suffer from even more, due to the failings of the government in enforcing the current law. We're also arguing how much more income they could generate from the current licence by making it more accessible & enforcing it better.

What hope is there to enforce the stricter law, if it passes? (whilst driving visitors away in the process)

Aram

Aram · 10-12-2009, 13:06

Quote:

Originally Posted by PanamaJack

To whom it may concern

The Sportfishing Club of the British Isles has an active membership of 109 – all bar two of whom are residents of the European Union. (Whilst the Club’s title refers to the ‘British Isles’ the membership does included residents of the UK, Belgium, Eire, Germany and Holland.)

For many years, since the Club’s inception in 1979, our members have regularly fished a number of the Canary Islands. And their holidays primarily involve chartering local sportfishing vessels for consecutive days, for periods of one or two weeks at a time. Whilst there of course they have additionally contributed to the local tourist-based economy, sources of employment – hotels, restaurants, bars, taxis, etc.

As a group, given the ethos of sport fishing, most of the fish they capture – big game species such as Marlin – would have been released.

So if the islands’ council enact legislation that encompasses restricting recreational fishing to just two days a week would our members return to the Canaries for their holidays? The answer is unfortunately, no. There are numerous places in the world for them to indulge their pastime without such (proposed) restrictions and I can assure you our membership would ‘vote with their feet’.

Yours faithfully
David A. West
Honorary President
Sportfishing Club of the British Isles

Thank you Dave. We were typing at the same time.

Best Regards,
Aram

EL INGLES · 10-12-2009, 14:11

IT'S BEEN STOPPED !!!

This is unofficial but good enough for me as i know where it came from....

It will be unounced soon though. They will be addressing some changes in the future and the most important thing is we have a representative at the table when they do. so nothing can happen behind our backs as the way has been in the past.

So sharpen your hooks and get out there !!!